In the many years that I’ve been writing about low carb, the number one issue I’ve heard from my visitors is that they simply don’t have time to cook healthy meals. They are too busy with work, with family, with other activities to dedicate the hours a day our grandmothers used to spend cooking and cleaning.

The result is that we eat junk food at home, and when we go out to eat we often settle for unhealthy fast food restaurants. Every day we end up damaging our own health. We sap away our own energy levels, we cause sleepless nights, and we set ourselves up for long term damage.

This book exists to help you learn ways to prepare quick, healthy meals that you can enjoy. Every recipe in this book can be made without cooking. Even if you’re at an office without a microwave, even if you’re in a college dorm, you can make these healthy foods and keep your body maintained properly.

This book features 31 recipes ranging from easy celery-and-hummus recipes that any college student can count on to more advanced recipes which require a few ingredients to assemble. Try a new recipe every day for a month and expand your menu choices!

A key of low carb eating – and really of all healthy eating – is that you should never be “starving”. If your body starts to get really hungry, it thinks there is a fast going on and it starts to hold onto fat as a mechanism to handle the upcoming danger. You do not want your body to be holding onto fat! You need to eat small, regular meals so that your body feels safe and able to burn those fat reserves.

Free your mind of restrictions like “breakfast only” food. If you have a delicious salad you enjoy, it’s fine as a breakfast. If protein shakes tickle your fancy, keep a stock of them in the corner and have one each afternoon as a snack. Whatever works for you is what you should go with.

Note: In previous versions of this book I began with a series of foundation chapters. They explained what fiber was, what carbohydrates were, how to stock your pantry, and related information. I received feedback that the information was quite useful – but that having it up front made it more challenging to use the cookbook quickly on a long term basis. Users had to always “go past” that introductory information each time they wanted to find a recipe.

I have therefore rearranged this version of the book. In this one, the text goes right into the recipes. That way you can get to those recipes quickly and easily. The supplementary pages are now all found in the appendix area. They are still in the book! They are just at the back so the recipes are easier to find. Be sure to read those to get a better understanding of what carbs and nutrition are all about.

I would love feedback on this change!

Eggs and Dairy

Some people think of eggs as a breakfast food. It’s time to look at eggs as the delightful sources of protein that they are. Eggs can be perfect at any time of the day or night.

I realize that eggs need to be cooked – I made that exception for this book because you can buy hard boiled eggs if you don’t have access to a microwave. You can also arrange with a friend to have them boil your eggs for you once a week and then just keep them in your fridge until you’re ready to use them.

Devilled Eggs

In the 1800s, Devilled meant spicy. This devilled egg recipe is great for an appetizer or to bring to a pot-luck, and it’s perfect for Atkins and low carb diets!

Peel the eggs and cut each in half the long way. Pop all of the yolks into a mixing bowl and add in the mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well with a fork. Use an icing dispenser to squeeze the mixture back into the eggs in a pretty shape. I like using the star nozzle. Sprinkle the paprika on top, and enjoy!

Devilled eggs are one of my favorite appetizers of all time, and I’m thrilled that this is a low carb diet-friendly food!

Servings: 2 (6 halves)
Carbs per serving: 2.5g

Egg Salad Rollup

I’m an enthusiastic fan of quick, easy lunches. This egg salad rollup takes only moments to make and is delicious and satisfying!

Chop up the eggs, celery, and olives into small pieces. Blend all ingredients together using more or less mayo to your own preference. Lay the ingredients in a stripe just above the center of the tortilla.

Roll closed and cut in half for easy eating. Enjoy! You can of course eat this without a tortilla too, as a regular salad. That saves you even more carbs!

Servings: 1
Carbs per serving: 5.4g

Mozzarella Balls in Oil

Mozzarella balls in oil are a perfect low carb snack can be found at most deli counters in with the other cheeses.

I did contemplate doing up a “recipe” for this. It would involve starting with your own mozzarella, cutting / rolling it into balls, adding in the olive oil, sprinkling in some pepper, garlic powder, basil, oregano, and red pepper. However, the premade balls are found at every deli counter I’ve been to, they’re relatively cheap, and they’re tasty!

In terms of carbs the balls are only about 2g for a full serving and you usually have several brands to choose from.

You can experiment making your own if you want – it’s about as straightforward as you can get. Even if you do, be sure to try several of the pre-made versions and keep some around the house for an easy, tasty snack!

Spicy Egg Salad

Looking for a low carb egg salad with a kick to it? Try this egg salad made with wings hot sauce. It’s great to spice up your low carb lifestyle!

I normally don’t recommend particular brands, but for this one I really like the Hooters wing sauce. It’s 0g carb and really tasty. I’m sure you can make your own hot sauce too if you wanted. Also I usually have this as a sandwich, and Arnold makes a low carb bread that has an awesome texture and flavor. If you’d rather eat it as a salad or rollup, enjoy!

Nuts

Technically, nuts are usually part of a fruit. They are the part of the plant that gets dropped in order for new plants to grow. However, most people put nuts into their own separate category from fruits.

Nuts are powerhouses of calories – they contain everything the baby plant needs to grow and flourish. For that reason you should be cautious about overindulging in nuts. They are good in moderation, like most things in life.

Basics of Nuts

The FDA has approved a message to go on nut packages that promotes the suggested – but not proven – heart benefits that nuts provide. This is the very first product the FDA is allowing to have such a message on before the final studies have definitely proven the health benefit.

The actual message reads “Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.” This message is on almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts. 1.5 ounces is equivalent to 3 tablespoons.

While nuts do have some fat, the American Heart Association website indicates that these are heart-healthy fats – monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. Nuts are also rich sources of protein and are included on most vegetarian diets as a superb substitute for meat.

Low carb diets and many other diet plans encourage eating nuts for this reason, and because they are high in fiber. Nuts are far healthier snacks than much of the junk food consumed in developed nations. Here are the carb counts for portions of healthy nuts:

In terms of maintaining serving sizes, we got ourselves small glass ramekins, which are the cute dishes you see chefs on the Food Network putting their ingredients into. These ramekins are just perfect for a small portion of nuts, and you don’t feel like you are getting “too little”.

Once you get into the practice, you’ll find if you eat them slowly and enjoy them that you’ll be quite full when you’re done!

Note: I heard from one user who was eating a full cup of almonds every day for breakfast. The calories in that serving are more than a double quarter pounder with cheese, and the carbs are quite high as well. It’s important to be cautious with the volume of nuts you eat!

Peanut Butter & Jam on Cucumber

Are you a fan of peanut butter and jelly snacks? Don’t put your peanut butter and jelly on bread or crackers. Try a healthy version with cucumbers instead! It’s low carb and delicious!

Ingredients:

1/2 cucumber

2 Tbsp low-carb peanut butter

1 Tbsp low-carb raspberry jam

Slice cucumber into thin wheels. Put a portion of peanut butter onto each wheel and then dollop the jam on top. Munch and enjoy!

Note that both the peanut butter and jam in this image were made by Fifty-50 which is a diabetic-focus company. The jam was only 1g and the peanut butter was 4g. The cucumber half is about .8g. At 5.8g this is a perfect snack for a person in maintenance but might be high for someone in the first 2 weeks. On the other hand I just ate this for lunch and was quite satisfied, so that would be a reasonable lunch carb count!

Servings: 1

Carbs per serving: 5.8g

Salads

In most parts of the world a salad is a delicious, traditional part of a healthy meal. The United States is slowly coming around to this delightful point of view.

If you were to relax into a wrought-iron café chair in Paris, watching as the pedestrians strolled by, you would probably be served a salad before your filet mignon. If you were to sprawl out in an Italian meadow surrounded by family and friends for a traditional Tuscan meal, a large bowl of salad would be featured at the center of the table. Russians toasting by the fire as the snows fall in thick layers would share a salad along with their borscht.

A salad helps to ensure you get your veggies into you, and that you are comfortably full.

Find ways to integrate a salad into your daily meal plan!

Basics – Creating a Tastier Salad

Almost every healthy eating system emphasizes eating a salad before the main meal. There are many reasons for this. To name just a few, veggies are good for you, the salad helps to fill you up, and the salad’s fiber helps your digestive system process food smoothly. Here are tips to make that salad as tasty as possible.

First, experiment with different salad dressings. Vinegar helps to get your digestive system working, so that you fully get all the nutrients out of the food you’re eating and break it down fully. Pretty much any salad dressing you use has vinegar in it, so this is a great beginning to lunch and dinner. If you use a different salad dressing each time, it will help to stave off boredom.